Hello!
In Today's post, I want to tell you my favorite city in the World;
San Francisco
YAY!!
This place is mean a lot to me for a reason, even though I have never been there before, but the beauty of this city just capture my heart.
You might recognized this place from movies, such as, The Ant-Man, Around The World in 80 Days , Curse of the Zodiac, Cats & Dogs : The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Cloud Atlas, etc.
San Francisco was originally called Yerba Buena back on 1835 in Spanish for "Good Herb", while this referred to a fragrant plant that grew native to the shoreline, some might say it could apply to other herbs.
San Francisco is a city on the tip of peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. One of the nicest things about visiting San Francisco is that, although the city is "big" in terms of attractions and amenities, It is geographically small - only 49 square miles.
The traffic in San Francisco is not nearly as bad as It is in New York City or Los Angeles. So, It is possible to do A LOT of great things in a day.
Everyone knows the world-famous landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Powell Street Cable Cars, but the city has so much to offer, for tourist and locals alike.
Either way...what are you waiting for? Without further do, let me tell you what makes me adore this city
1. The Colorful Street Art and Murals
Many districts through out San Francisco encourage street art. It is one of the things that makes San Francisco unique. These works of art range from memorial murals to stories about San Francisco's history.
Mission District
If you love street art, you must visit the Mission. This eclectic neighborhood has amazing street art on almost every corner. You will also find two alleys covered with different San Francisco murals. They range from politically motivated to fun ones about the city.
Coit Tower
After the completion of the building in 1933, the city commissioned the U.S. Government's Public Works Art Project to add murals on the inside. The murals showcase stories of life in California and San Francisco in the late 1920's and 1930's. The artist assigned to the project created Diego Rivera inspired works of art. After their completion, many of the murals received quite bit of press. They were highly controversial and many questioned the stories told throughout the murals
Here are just some of the murals:
Each Murals has It is own story and has a small write-up next to it that describes what It is all about.
San Francisco Beach Chalet
The beach Chalet San Francisco is a popular stop for visitors near Ocean Beach. This newly remodeled 1925 Spanish Revival Building includes two restaurants, the Golden Gate Park Visitor Center, and some beautiful murals and mosaics.
It is a great place to grab some lunch, find out a little bit more about Golden Gate Park, and spend some time admiring the Pacific Ocean.
In here, you will find several Works Progress Administration (WPA) era murals. Many of them were originally painted in the mid to late 30's.
Rincon Center
It is one of those hidden gems that most visitors miss.
The historic Art Deco building offers several gorgeous historic murals as well as a modern fountain with water falling from the ceiling. After you look around, you can also grab some lunch in their courtyard and then head out to explore other parts of the city.
This structure was built in 1940 as one of the main post offices in the city. Shortly after It is completion, the U.S. Government provided funds to add murals to It is main floor.
Today, people from around the World visit the building to take a look at these historic, yet controversial murals. It is free to stop by for a look and all of them include a small description, so you can get a feel for what is going on in each one.
Here are just few of the murals you will see when you visit the Rincon Center:
This mural showcases explorer Sir Francis Drake. He is said to be the one to have discovered the area now known as San Francisco. You will often see these blank globes in explorer murals as a sign that so much in the world is yet to be discovered.
This mural showcases the building of Mission Dolores, one of the first missions in the area and the oldest building is standing in San Francisco today. It is one of the murals that was revised. The original one hinted at the prosperity and superiority of the mission leader. He had a much larger frame and looked well fed. This is the figure in the back in the brown robe. In contrast to that, the two Native American workers in front where originally gaunt and looked underfed.
The commission demanded all three figures be revised to show more equality among the three individuals.
This is the largest mural in the Rincon Center in San Francisco. It shows several workers as they build the city of San Francisco. It is another mural that had to be revised. It originally showed only a few races building the city. The commission had it changed to show more diversity in the people involved in the process.
This is another mural that was slightly revised. It showcases many of the controversial figures in San Francisco history (at that time). Some had propaganda painted in and all of it had to be removed in order to Refregier to get paid.
This mural shows builders working on the Golden Gate Bridge. Even though this one was not controversial, I wanted to include it as the bridge is an important part of San Francisco's history.
Others in the City
Here are a few other places you will find some great San Francisco murals:
- Grace Cathedral: Inside Grace Cathedral in Nob Hill, you will find a number of them depicting the history of the church and this historic neighborhood.
- Mission de Asis: This mission is the oldest building in San Francisco. Inside, you will find a large mural. The new basilica also has 21 gorgeous stained glass windows.
2. The Food
Oh my God. Let's talk about San Francisco's Food. The food in San Francisco is AMAZING! It is not just the quality, but the variety that you will find throughout the city.
With more than 3.500 restaurants, It is easy to find something you will like. You will find standards cuisines such as Italian, Mexican, and American. However, you will also find restaurant where you can try something different such as South African, Peruvian, Nepalise, Chinese, and Indonesian.
I have done some research on the Internet about some the Best Restaurant in San Francisco. It can be tough one, since there are more than 3.500 restaurant in this city. But do not worries my blog-readers, I got you covered. Here are my top 5 restaurant based on the type of the food:
- Mediterranean
You will love the selection of Mediterranean Restaurants in San Francisco. You will find everything from the fine dining to casual spots in cozy, local districts.
Kokkari Estiatorio
It is a fine dining option that has the tastiest lamb chops. Their popular dishes are the Pacific Halibut, the Lamb Burgers, Moussaka, and Spanakotiropita.
Average Price:
For lunch, It is around $25 to $30 a person
For dinner, It will be around $35 to $55 per person
Address:
200 Jackson Street
District:
Financial Disctrict
- Sea Food
The Swan Oyster Depot
This place is very popular with both locals and tourists. The Swan Oyster Depot is not your typical seafood restaurant. It is a little bit of a dive, but It is clean and the food is fresh and amazing.
The Swan Depot is only open for lunch. It is located at 1517 Polk Street. You will find It in Nob Hill area of San Francisco between California and Sacramento Streets. If you have access to a kitchen to make your own seafood, this place also has a market. You will see the fresh fish and oysters for take out located in the front windows of the restaurant.
Average Price:
$10 to $45 per dish
Address:
1517 Polk Street
District:
Nob Hill
- Irish Food
Johnny Foley's Irish House
Located just steps from Union Square, this pub has a large beer selection and some great pub food. They have live music most nights and a fun, lively atmosphere. Their popular foods are, the Fish and Chips, Cottage Pie (with ground beef, mashed potato crust and a variety of vagetables) and Bangers and Mash (with two pork sausages, mashed potatoes, stewed onions and seasonal vegetables).
In addition to these favorites, you will also find some great dishes, such as, slow roasted prime rib of beef, roast lemon Rosemary natural range chicken, and an almond black paper crusted salmon fillet.
Foley's is open for both lunch and dinner.
Address:
243 O'Farrell Street
Specialities:
Traditional food, lively atmosphere, central location
- Chowder
You will find dozens of places that serve clam chowder in San Francisco. The two most common types you will find in San Francisco are New England and Manhattan.
New England chowder is a cream based soup that is thick and usually includes potatoes, onions, and clams.
Manhattan chowder is a red broth soup that made from clams, veggies, and tomato, which enhances It is coloring and flavors.
Chowders at Pier 39
This place is the most favorite places from clam chowder is Chowders at Pier 39. The fun restaurant offers both white New England and red Manhattan clam chowder on their menu.
They also offer some deep fried fish options, a few fresh salads, and some not so fishy items such as chicken and grilled cheese sandwiches. This is one of my top recommendations for those treveling with kids.
Average Price:
$8.95 for chowder in a bread bowl, other items range from $5.99 to $10.89
Address:
Pier 39
District:
Fisherman's Wharf
- Burgers
San Francisco is a food lovers paradise, and you will find dozens of places to savor one of the best burgers in San Francisco.
The Pearl's Deluxe Burgers
The Pearl's Deluxe Burgers is another casual burger joint and It is just a few blocks away from Union Square. The inside is small and there is usually a line, but It is worth the wait.
They serve Kobe Beef and Buffalo Burgers. You can substitute any burger with chicken, turkey, or a veggie burger. You also get to select from the 1/4 pound and 1/2 pound burger options. People usually order the Prized Pearl or the Pesto Burger. People also love their spries, which is an order of half sweet potato and half regular fries
Average Price:
$6.79 for the 1/4 pound, $8.99 for the 1/2 pound
Address:
708 Post Street
District:
Union Square
- Ice Cream!!
We are no longer seven years old, but we still need to go out and grab an ice cream to relaxing our body and have fun.
Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop
Bi-Rite Creamery is one of the most popular ice cream shop in San Francisco. Located in the Mission District at the Corner of 18th Street and Dolores Street. There was always a long line-up that went around the corner of the building, but the wait is so worth it!
Bi-Rite serves the most delicious and creamy homemade ice cream. They sold a variety of interesting and unique flavors like honey lavender, balsamic strawberry, peach, creme brulee, roasted banana, malted vanilla, and salted-caramel, among many others.
They are well-known for their salted caramel ice cream.
The prices were reasonable and you can choose a cone or a cup for your ice cream.
I highly recommend Bi-Rite Creamery when in San Francisco. Everything about it was wonderful and perfect.
3. The Golden Gate Bridge
How can I not include the most well-known attraction to my list?! This gorgeous structure is fun to visit. It is also an important part in San Francisco's history as It official bridged the gap between San Francisco and the rest of Northern California.
Of course, the highlight of the bridge is the walk across. The views are amazing and It is a special experience seeing it close...i hope i could see it with my own eyes
4. The Quality and Varieties of the Museums
You will find almost 50 San Francisco museums. The
range and quality of the SF museums is the reason why so many visitors and
locals love them.
You will find a wide selection of them from some of
the best art museums such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to
interesting history and science museums such as the California Academy of
Sciences.
San
Francisco Asian Art Museum
The
museum houses thousands of artifacts created over the span of 6,000
years. It also attracts a number of amazing traveling exhibits every year.
Entrance into many of these is included with your general admission ticket.
Only a few require a small additional fee.
This San Francisco museum sits about a block from City
Hall in the Civic Center neighborhood. It's only about a 10 minute bus ride
from Union Square.
The best flow for your museum visit is by heading up
to the third or top floor. Once you exit the escalator, head into the door on
the right.
The first exhibit you will view is the South Asia
Exhibit. This is where you will see several works of art from India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Here is a photo from one of the six rooms that
showcases this exhibit.
After you finish in these rooms, you will see a small
room off to the left featuring artifacts from Iran and the surrounding
countries. This exhibit is called The Persian World and West Asia.
The next set of rooms is dedicated to Southeast Asia.
The four rooms of this gallery include items from Cambodia, Thailand,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Here is just a sample of what you will see here.
You will then enter a small exhibit on The
Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World. From there, you will enter the largest
exhibit which includes hundreds of pieces from China.
The first room you enter is one of my favorites. It
includes several small, yet intricate statues carved out of jade. It is
officially known as the Chinese Jade Gallery.
Once you finish in the room shown above - continue
down the hall and you will find a set of stairs. Take these stairs down to the
second level. This is where you will find three additional rooms featuring more
ancient artifacts from China.
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers is an
historic landmark and living museum. It is set inside the oldest public glass
and wood greenhouse still open in the United States.
It's one of several great museums in San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park.
The Conservatory of Flowers was privately owned for
many years. It was gifted to the city of San Francisco and officially open to
the public in 1879.
It has undergone several renovations throughout the
years. Although it survived the 1906 earthquake with little damage, it had to
be closed in 1933 due to structural instability.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers was
remodeled and reopened to the public again in 1946. However in 1995, the
conservatory closed again due to damage from a severe windstorm.
All of the plants were moved to other locations for
storage. After a $25 million restoration project, the Conservatory of Flowers
reopened in 2003.
This SF Museum has five distinct and separate
galleries. Four of the galleries include a variety of plants from different
types of climates.
The fifth gallery is the special exhibit area. Their
typical exhibit is on display for around six month.
5. The Free Attractions and Activities
San
Francisco is an expensive city. However, you will find dozens of free things to
do here every day!
Several
small museums such as the Cable Car Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Wells
Fargo museum offer free admission. You can also visit most of San Francisco's
indoor murals for free
Some of San Francisco's top attractions are also free.
It's free to visit and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. You can see Lombard
Street, the most famous crooked street, the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square and
City Hall at no charge.
One of the
best ways to get to know the city is by taking one of the Public Library's
Daily Walking Tours.
They offer almost a dozen every day and all of them are free (although they do
request a small donation at the end to keep their program running).
6. The Golden Gate Park
I truly in love with this park because it is
absolutely beautiful. It is the new home to the California Academy of Sciences,
the De Young Museum, and the Japanese Tea Garden. You will also find the
colorful Botanical Gardens and the historic Conservatory of Flowers.
There are also several hidden gems here such as Stow
Lake, where you can do some hiking or take a boat ride, and Shakespeare
Gardens, which includes only flowers and plants. You can also walk through the
gorgeous Rose Garden or pay your respects in the AIDS Memorial Grave
7. The Acceptance
There is "Come As You Are" policy in San Francisco. San Francisco is probably one of the most liberal cities to live in. Hippies, Hipster, Geek, LGBT acceptance and right and more. You will usually see people walking down the streets in the most wild of fashion, and the great part is people do not care. It is San Francisco. People are weird. I like it.
8. Summer Street Fairs
With San Francisco's mild climate, You will find a fun festival almost every weekend. However, once summer hits, the neighborhood street fairs begin.
These street faris are a tradition here. It is a time for the community to come together and celebrate.
Most offer live music, displays from locals artists and gourmet food. Some feature beer gardens, live performances, and games for the kids.
The biggest street fairs are in North Beach, the Marina and the Haight, The Castro district also has a large street fair, but It is later in the year
So, that was my reasons to love this beautiful city.
Thank you for reading!
